VW predicts ‘renaissance’ for embattled diesel cars

VW and their anticipated diesel renaissance

Speaking at the International Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday, Matthias Mueller, CEO of Volkswagen stated “Diesel will see a renaissance in the not too distant future because people who drove diesels will realize that it was a very comfortable drive concept. Once the knowledge that diesels are eco-friendly firms up in people’s minds, then for me there’s no reason not to buy one.” His statement has certainly left people scratching their heads trying to understand his optimism.

His outlook faces a few hurtles on the path to becoming reality. A week prior to Mueller’s comment the German High Court ruled to uphold community bans of diesel engine use to protect their citizens. A few countries that are important markets for Volkswagen, such as France, China and the UK are making commitments to phase out vehicle use of the internal combustion engine. And a very pressing, and important hurtle is Volkswagen’s efforts to win back market support after baking in false data for emission testing of their diesel-powered cars. That last challenge is probably the one that has set them back the most, and a flashing, neon example of short-sighted thinking.

It seems that by using the term “not too distant future” Mueller is still thinking short term with his comments about a diesel renaissance. Well, yes, he is. Volkswagen is busy working on a rollout of their own electric vehicles, which are expected to arrive in showrooms in 2020. For now, they need diesel power to live on, born again.

Joel Stocksdale has more than a quarter century joined car industry and car news coverage encounter that he conveys to Green Auto Shop perusers. Over the thirteen years that he possessed a car business, he worked straightforwardly with each significant auto mark in the vehicle business and got comfortable with all makes and models of autos. His energy for autos drove him to put over the most recent twelve years in car news coverage where he conveys all that experience to his perusers as he expounds on the vehicle business and the most recent test autos he drives.